Five people were injured after a military helicopter that had just refuelled crashed at an airport in Mexico.

The MI-17 aircraft was taking off from a heliport area near the General Rafael Buelna International Airport on April 26 when its tail rotor reportedly failed, causing the chopper to spiral to the ground.

Footage shows the helicopter from the Mexican Secretary of the Navy (SEMAR) flying at a low altitude before spinning in the air and crashing as it lost control.

In a statement, SEMAR confirmed the incident, saying the helicopter was being used to put out fires in Sonora state.

The agency said: 'Based on the information available at the time, an MI-17 Helicopter of the Mexican Navy suffered an accident during the takeoff maneuver from the heliport to the refueling area, collapsing in the vicinity of that area.

'Five naval elements were transported in the said helicopter. They suffered injuries that did not put their lives at risk, and they have already been transferred to the Naval Hospital of Mazatlán for medical attention; Likewise, there is no damage to third parties.

'The Secretariat of the Navy of Mexico regrets the accident and will provide the necessary medical attention to the naval elements. It reaffirms its commitment to work in coordination with institutions of the three orders of government to maintain operations in support of combating forest fires in the state of Sonora.'

SEMAR said investigations are now underway to determine the cause of the accident.